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Door staff@engadget.com (Husain Parvez) - 27 Aug 2026
Always begin with the screening label. If it has the words "IMAX 70mm," then the mystery is pretty much solved. "IMAX with Laser" tells you less, because that branding can refer to various laser setups and IMAX's public listings of its theaters don't always specify the type of projector in an auditorium.
The next useful clue is aspect ratio. A 1.43:1 IMAX screen is clearly taller and squarer than a 1.90:1 screen, and movies prepared for IMAX can stretch up vertically to take advantage of the extra room. Sometimes IMAX will release lists of which locations can actually show the taller image for releases with special 1.43:1 presentations.
Of course, there's a wrinkle here: The screen alone doesn't tell you what will be coming out of the projector that night. Some theaters have a film projector and a Laser or Xenon system, so they can have a big 1.43:1 screen and play 15/70 film for one release and then switch to digital projection for another release with a 1.90:1 aspect ratio.
IMAX does not detail the projector setup for all screenings in its theater finder.
Community-maintained IMAX maps and the r/IMAX theater database can help you determine screen ratios, projector types and 70mm capability if the official listing doesn't tell you. They are unofficial resources, so it's always best to check with the theater before making a three-hour road trip out of a movie night.
The next useful clue is aspect ratio. A 1.43:1 IMAX screen is clearly taller and squarer than a 1.90:1 screen, and movies prepared for IMAX can stretch up vertically to take advantage of the extra room. Sometimes IMAX will release lists of which locations can actually show the taller image for releases with special 1.43:1 presentations.
Of course, there's a wrinkle here: The screen alone doesn't tell you what will be coming out of the projector that night. Some theaters have a film projector and a Laser or Xenon system, so they can have a big 1.43:1 screen and play 15/70 film for one release and then switch to digital projection for another release with a 1.90:1 aspect ratio.
IMAX does not detail the projector setup for all screenings in its theater finder.
Community-maintained IMAX maps and the r/IMAX theater database can help you determine screen ratios, projector types and 70mm capability if the official listing doesn't tell you. They are unofficial resources, so it's always best to check with the theater before making a three-hour road trip out of a movie night.